Sciatica help please

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karinapeterson
karinapeterson Posts: 197 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there

I seem to have developed sciatica over the last few weeks and it is pretty bad at the moment with some swelling on the side of my left hip. Can anyone give me ideas on how to help it and what exercises to avoid? I have been doing ripped in 30 and 30DS as well as exercycling on the odd day and c25k. Have tried walking instead of the running part but the pain is still as bad. Feel that the roads I have to run on may be the cause as the slope to the outside quite steeply and we do not have footpaths or grass alongside. Am finding it really frustrating needless to say painfull too :wink:
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Replies

  • ler2665
    ler2665 Posts: 22 Member
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    My dad had a recurring problem with that and got really into biking about 10 years ago. I thought it would make it worse, but it didn't. I don't know if that's the case for everyone, though.
  • FlyByJuly
    FlyByJuly Posts: 564 Member
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    There are only two things that work for me when my sciatica acts up....time and/or my chiropractor. I hope yours eases up soon, as I know how painful it can be.
  • karinapeterson
    karinapeterson Posts: 197 Member
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    There are only two things that work for me when my sciatica acts up....time and/or my chiropractor. I hope yours eases up soon, as I know how painful it can be.

    thanks, me too hehe, Tired of feeling like my bottom on one side is numb :)
  • FlyByJuly
    FlyByJuly Posts: 564 Member
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    There are only two things that work for me when my sciatica acts up....time and/or my chiropractor. I hope yours eases up soon, as I know how painful it can be.

    thanks, me too hehe, Tired of feeling like my bottom on one side is numb :)

    On a positive note, mine hasn't flared up in a long, long time. I'm pretty sure the absence of it can be attributed to weight loss and physical activity. I used to have chronic lower back pain (at times, nearly crippling). My weight loss has banished that as well!! One day, I just realized that I hadn't had any back pain for a long time!
  • lsapphire
    lsapphire Posts: 297 Member
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    I have sciatic and have had for years. ANY kind of impact hurts. But I have found i can walk for up to an hour and a fairly even surface. Not exactly high burning for sure, but I feel like it is a big improvement and my pain has subsided some.
  • CanDurkin
    CanDurkin Posts: 63
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    I would go see a chiropractor. I have a history of lower back pain and the two things that help the most when it goes out are a trip to my chiro (she's amazing and I love her) and stretching. I started doing yoga twice a week and I haven't had a problem with my lower back in quite sometime.
  • joders1313
    joders1313 Posts: 19
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    Sometimes Sciatica is overdiagnosed there is something called pseudo sciatica and it's actually caused by a tight piriformis muscle, I would suggest massage or chiropractic care. I also find two stretches amazing for it, if you sit on a chair and cross one leg over the other then slightly fold forward keeping a straight back you will feel a stretch through the glutes, there is also the yoga pose called pigeon that is great (but a little more advanced). you could also sit and roll a tennis ball over your glutes :)
  • millers617
    millers617 Posts: 21 Member
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    There are only two things that work for me when my sciatica acts up....time and/or my chiropractor. I hope yours eases up soon, as I know how painful it can be.

    Exact same for me, I suffered years before going to the chiropractor. Finally went and it is the only thing that helps quickly. Also ice not heat, ibuprofen, and continuous ab work to strengthen your core!!
  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
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    Ditto on a good chiropractor. I had an issue with it last year where I could barely walk. One trip to the chiro and I was back to normal within 24 hours.
  • OceansForever
    OceansForever Posts: 221 Member
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    Google Periformis stretch.

    That stretch is the only one that helps me through the days. I do it several times a day and when I cannot walk anymore because of pain it is the only thing that will help me.

    It stretches the muscle that spasms and pinches the nerve.

    I've also started to do Pilates and now added other core muscle strengthening work-outs with hopes to prevent the spasms in the future.

    Good luck!
  • DterMined2012
    DterMined2012 Posts: 600 Member
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    stretching exercises help relieve the pain as well as ibuprofen 800mg every 6 hours x 7 days
    hope this helps :smile:
  • SonyalovesDale
    SonyalovesDale Posts: 3
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    Water aerobics has helped my sciatica. There is a stretch that can be done on land that will help ease the pain: Find something very heavy that won''t move, hold on to it while you place one ankle on your other knee. Slowly "sit" back on an imaginary chair. Your supporting leg should be at a 90 degree angle. Just relax and let it stretch out. Switch legs and stretch that area. This is a favorite stretch for our water classes. I taught this to a man who had ridden 11 hours in a car and could not move. He was up and jogging around the next day! It really works. The swelling is cause for concern thought..... get it checked out.
  • tracielinn
    tracielinn Posts: 113 Member
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    Massage can help along with the chiropractic. Sometimes the muscles pinch down on the nerve too.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Well, I first must say the obligatory "go see your doctor" if it's really bad. Especially if you've never been seen to make sure it actually is sciatica and not something else. If it is, I suggest getting a foam roller for your back. I started c25k last fall and got hit with a really bad bout of sciatica a few weeks in. I had to go to the doctor for pain medication because I couldn't even sleep. Two of my MFP friends suggested I try a foam roller. So I looked around and got a cheap one to try out. I has taken a couple weeks off running then got back to it and could feel a flare up starting again and used the roller - and my back was better the next day. I love it!! Now I use it after every run, and often after my other workouts. I never would have believed something so simple would make such a dramatic difference, but it has, at least for me.
  • karinapeterson
    karinapeterson Posts: 197 Member
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    Thank you all for your replys. I have been doing the piriformus stretches every day and they help a bit for mobility but the pain or ache is constant. might try the chiropractic way soon. Will rest from running and stick to walking for another week and see how bad it is. I appreciate all your advice. always good to have bits of information from others who have been there and see waht works for me :o)
  • mbond6
    mbond6 Posts: 27 Member
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    the butterfly stretch and sleeping like a frog are the only things tha work for me massaging it makes it worse
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
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    I'm with the "see your doctor" advice. A chiro may help...or may make things much, much worse depending on why the sciatica has flared. My was compression of the sciatic nerve due to a herniated disc and all the manipulation in the world didn't help and resulted in the nerve damage and foot drop i experienced because i delayed seeking medical treatment. An MRI and steroids reduced the swelling enough that i could attend physical therapy and get the help i needed to walk again. It took me years to get rid of the Franken-foot, so please consider a doctor if your sciatica doesn't improve rather quickly.
  • ems1583
    ems1583 Posts: 180 Member
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    I suggest you go see an ortho doctor and have it checked. I'm a physical therapist and I've seen the worse cases of sciatica (chronic) There are some movements you need to avoid to prevent further compression. Coz if not seen and treated it might get worse, inital symptoms are just pain, numbness, just sensory deficit but soon can affect motor component of nerves leading to weakness/paralysis. Physical therapy will help you, they have modalities, stretching, core strengthening, and exercise that will help decompress the impingement. Also they can use lumbar traction to decompress the nerve.
  • Silverniki
    Silverniki Posts: 8 Member
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    The chiropractor did help me some but it was the physiotherapist that helped me tremendously with my severe sciatica 1.5 yrs ago. She had me do exercises where I lay on my stomach for 5 min to relax the spine and then did push ups onto my elbows and back down; do ten, rest for a minute, then 10 more, rest and another 10. She said not to hold it at the top of the push up. That gets the bulging disk to protrude frontwards instead of backwards so it's not compressing the nerve. The pain gradually vanished over a month to 6 weeks and as long as I don't sit with a rounded back, such as on a very soft couch, I have no pain now. I do aquafit, yoga and walking and I'm so happy to be able to exercise without that severe pain. Any time I have even a twinge after sitting on the wrong thing, I promptly do back bends which relieves it now. Hope it helps you.
  • ems1583
    ems1583 Posts: 180 Member
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    The chiropractor did help me some but it was the physiotherapist that helped me tremendously with my severe sciatica 1.5 yrs ago. She had me do exercises where I lay on my stomach for 5 min to relax the spine and then did push ups onto my elbows and back down; do ten, rest for a minute, then 10 more, rest and another 10. She said not to hold it at the top of the push up. That gets the bulging disk to protrude frontwards instead of backwards so it's not compressing the nerve. The pain gradually vanished over a month to 6 weeks and as long as I don't sit with a rounded back, such as on a very soft couch, I have no pain now. I do aquafit, yoga and walking and I'm so happy to be able to exercise without that severe pain. Any time I have even a twinge after sitting on the wrong thing, I promptly do back bends which relieves it now. Hope it helps you.



    Yeah, thats correct. Thats the Mckenzie Extension Exercises. Its better not to self diagnose yourself as there are a lot of causes of back pain wherein some are opposite/contradictory in the movement that you should do for exercises and to avoid. once u go to a doctor, they'll do MRI of your back to know what causing your back pain, then therapy will help you with the treatment and exercises you need to do. I'm not against chiropractor but first line of consult should still be Ortho doctor.

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